Day 7. Who's This In The Shower With Me?

THE ANGRY SAMURAI AND THE OLD MONK
The angry samurai wanted the old monk to tell him the difference between heaven and hell or he would chop off his head if he wasn't satisfied with the answer. The old monk didn't just tell him he illustrated it with a direct and beautiful gesture.

There is a story, an exploration of it and a shore meditation.

Reviews

I really appreciate this format—storytelling followed by reflection and a quiet pause to let it settle. Thank you for these offerings. Seeing our whole lives as a practice in moving from the hell realm experience to the peaceful, joyful heavenly realm is such a powerful and accurate insight. The moment the samurai warrior drops to his knees in realization of the Zen monk’s teaching brought tears to my eyes.

Wow, we have experienced the heaven and the hell realm in this lifetime. I know I have. I have gratitude for both experiences. What we move away from teaches us just as much about who we are as what we move toward. Thank you!

What a beautiful lesson and story. In a way, we live in the Hell realm and the realm of Heaven simultaneously. Like the Taoist ideas of Yin and Yang polarities dancing together in everything. We have a choice, like the warrior in the story. This is freedom.

🖐🏼🩷 Hand on heart and resting in presence. Thank you for this wonderful story, a perfect illustration as always!